Kenya Airways to launch first-ever route to the USA

A Keinya Airways Boeing 787 'Dreamliner' is seen in Amsterdam in August 2016.(Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special for USA TODAY)

Kenya Airways is launching its first-ever route to the United States.

Daily non-stop flights between Nairobi and New York JFK begin Oct. 28 and will be flown with the carrier’s Boeing 787-8 “Dreamliners,” which seat 30 in lie-flat business-class seats and 204 in coach. Flight time on the 7,360-mile route will be 15 hours eastbound and 14-½ hours on the return.

“This is an exciting moment for us. It fits within our strategy to attract corporate and high-end tourism traffic from the world to Kenya and Africa,” Kenya Airways Group CEO Sebastian Mikosz said in a statement announcing the service.

New York customers will be able to connect to more than 40 onward African destinations via Kenya Airways’ hub in Nairobi.

Resting in a giant hangar, a Boeing 747-400 passenger jet undergoes a 'C-check' at the China Airlines maintenance facility outside of Taipei, Taiwan, in early December.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special for USA TODAY

Delta Air Lines pilots guide their Delta A330-300 jet along the taxi-way after landing at the 'North Pole' in December. The airline puts on numerous 'flights' for children to the icy destination every holiday season.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special for USA TODAY

A local airplane spotter leans up against the fence at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taiwan as an EVA Air Airbus A330 "Hello Kitty" theme jet taxies for take off.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special for USA TODAY

The L.A./Ontario International Airport's Terminal 2 is largely empty on a Saturday afternoon in early December. Local officials have been at odds with the airport's owner, claiming it is intentionally being underutilized to the benefit of nearby LAX.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special for USA TODAY

Blitz, the Seattle Seahawks mascot , requests a pat-down from TSA agents after repeatedly setting off the metal detector at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The mascot was appearing at a special Delta Air Lines 'North Pole flight' for children.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special for USA TODAY

The wing of the Airbus A350 XWB extends over a fog bank blanketing the French countryside outside Toulouse. The A350, the first for launch customers Qatar Airways, comes in for a landing after making a special preview flight.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special for USA TODAY

Readied to be ferried to the main factory, a Boeing 787 wing section and fuselage barrell await transport at a nearby holding facility in late December 2014.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special for USA TODAY

A Boeing 767-2C completes a high speed taxi test on Dec. 27, 2014. The airplane, a prototype for the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker, made its inaugural flight the following day.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, Special for USA TODAY

The service comes after a long effort by Kenyan authorities for approval for non-stop flights to the United States. The U.S. had previously prohibited non-stop commercial flights from Kenya because of security concerns, but those restrictions were lifted last year. That allowed Kenya Airways to proceed with its January announcement for the New York service.

The non-stop flight will shave hours off the New York-Nairobi journey, which previously required a connection at a hub in Europe, Africa or the Middle East.

The route also gives Kenya Airways (airline code KG) a prestigious service offering, which comes as the carrier tries to reverse several years of financial losses.

“This is a symbol of a comeback by Kenya Airways," company chairman Michael Joseph said to The Standard newspaper of Nairobi. "It will determine the future of KQ and also shows the determination that KQ has to return to being the pride of Africa.”

Kenya Airways is a member of the SkyTeam frequent-flier alliance that also includes Delta, Air France, KLM and Aeromexico, among others.

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Newlyweds Gene Peterson and Holly Rick wave after arriving on Delta Air Lines' final Boeing 747 flight, in Marana, Ariz. on Jan. 3, 2018. The couple met working aboard the jumbo jet nine years ago on a military charter.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAY

Delta Air Lines' last Boeing 747-400 passenger jet awaits its flight to the scrapyard on Jan. 3, 2018 in Atlanta. With its retirement, no U.S.-based passenger airline operates the Boeing 747 anymore.
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The crew for the last Delta Air Lines Boeing 747 flight pose for a group photo before departing Atlanta for a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz., on January 3, 2018.
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Pilot Paul Gallaher boards the last Boeing 747 flight for Delta Air Lines in Atlanta on Jan. 3, 2018. Gallaher and the jet would both retire at the end of the flight.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAY

Pilot Paul Gallaher checks the rooftop escape hatch aboard the last Boeing 747 flight for Delta Air Lines in Atlanta on Jan. 3, 2018. Gallaher and the jet would both retire at the end of the flight.
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Pilot Stephen Hanlon checks the wheels of a Boeing 747-400 during a pre-flight inspection in Atlanta on Jan. 3, 2018. The flight was the last Boeing 747 flight for Delta Air Lines, the last U.S. passenger airline to fly the jet.
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Pilot Stephen Hanlon checks the avionics hatch on a Boeing 747-400 during a pre-flight inspection in Atlanta on Jan. 3, 2018. The flight was the last Boeing 747 flight for Delta Air Lines, the last U.S. passenger carrier to fly the jet.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAY

Pilot Stephen Hanlon checks the wheels of a Boeing 747-400 during a pre-flight inspection in Atlanta on Jan. 3, 2018. The flight was the last Boeing 747 flight for Delta Air Lines, , the last U.S. passenger carrier to fly the jet.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAY

A note written on the tires wishes a safe landing to the last Boeing 747 flight for Delta Air Lines. The jet was flown to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz., on Jan. 3, 2018.
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A flight attendant attaches flowers to rows of premium economy seating on board the final Boeing 747 flight for Delta Air Lines. The airline celebrated with a wedding aboard the flight.
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A flight attendant calls a colleague on the last Boeing 747 flight for Delta Air Lines on Jan. 3, 2018. The jet flew its final flight from Delta's Atlanta hub to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz.
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A note scrawled on a bulkhead of Delta Air Lines' last Boeing 747 flight congratulates the Buffalo Bills on their playoff berth. The jet had carried the team days earlier on a sports charter before making its final flight on Jan. 3, 2018 to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz.
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Newlyweds Gene Peterson and Holly Rick kiss after tying the knot aboard Delta Air Lines' final Boeing 747 flight, in Marana, Ariz., on Jan. 3, 2018. The couple met working aboard a 747 nine years ago on a military charter.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAY

Newlyweds Gene Peterson and Holly Rick kiss after tying the knot aboard Delta Air Lines' final Boeing 747 flight, in Marana, Ariz., on Jan. 3, 2018. The couple met working aboard a 747 nine years ago on a military charter.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAY

Newlyweds Gene Peterson and Holly Rick kiss after tying the knot aboard Delta Air Lines' final Boeing 747 flight, in Marana, Ariz., on Jan. 3, 2018. The couple met working aboard a 747 nine years ago on a military charter.
Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren, special to USA TODAY

Former Boeing 747 pilot Mike Vetter relaxes in business class aboard the last flight of the jumbo jet for Delta Air Lines while en route to the scrapyard on Jan. 3, 2018.
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A flight attendant phone lists all the possible call options aboard a Delta Air Lines Boeing 747-400. The jet was retired to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz., on Jan. 3, 2018.
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Delta Air Lines' last Boeing 747 completes its final flight, performing a low pass over Pinal Airpark in Marana, Ariz., on Jan. 3, 2018. Numerous other recently retired Delta 747s can be seen in the background.
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Flight attendants pose for a selfie under the wing of Delta Air Lines' last Boeing 747 jumbo jet. It had just completed its retirement flight to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz on Jan. 3, 2018
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Mike and Anne Vetter, both Delta employees based in Detroit, pose in the engine of Delta Air Lines' last Boeing 747 jumbo jet after its retirement flight to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz on Jan. 3, 2018
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The cabin crew aboard Delta Air Lines' last Boeing 747 jumbo jet pose in the engine after its retirement flight to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz on Jan. 3, 2018
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Pilots of the Boeing 747, all of whom flew with Delta and/or Northwest over the years, pose in front of Delta Air Lines' last Boeing 747 jumbo jet . The plane had just completed its retirement flight to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz on Jan. 3, 2018
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Signatures cover the underbelly of the nose of Delta Air Lines' last Boeing 747 jumbo jet after its retirement flight to a scrapyard in Marana, Ariz., on Jan. 3, 2018.
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Already at the Arizona boneyard, a former Delta Air Lines Boeing 747 awaits being completely torn apart at the scrapyard in Pinal Airpark in Marana, Ariz.,on Jan. 3, 2018.
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Passengers on some of Delta's last Boeing 747 charter flights - including sports teams - were encouraged to leave farewell messages inside the plane. This one appears to have been left by the Clemson University football team.
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